The GIA India Laboratory is enhancing its deliverables with a continued increase in its local staff and its newly launched local service free Opera House pick-up and delivery services. Through the new service, the GIA will facilitate the diamonds to be collected through local shipping companies and grade them at its Bandra-Kurla complex laboratory. %% GIA has appointed three local shippers: Malca-Amit, B.V.C. Group and Rapaport Shipping Service. The scope of work of these companies is to visit the GIA customers’ offices, pick up a “sealed box” of goods, and deliver the box to GIA’s Bandra Kurla location for servicing. Post service, the “sealed box” will be returned to the customer’s office via the shipping company. %% GIA is taking expansion at a careful pace, as its India lab is in the process of being fully functional. GIA India Laboratory will continue to operate with limited intake. Currently, its intake from each client is limited to 75 stones per day. The Indian lab undertakes servicing of diamonds from 0.15 carat to 1.99 carats. The diamonds of larger than 1.99 carats, or diamond submissions exceeding the local capacity, or for services other than Diamond Grading or Diamond Dossier are being accepted and forwarded to a U.S laboratory. Tom Moses, GIA senior vice president for Research and Laboratory and Nirupa Bhatt, GIA’s managing director for the India and Middle East region said, “We look forward to this next phase in expanding our Mumbai business and will keep the industry informed as to when the GIA India Laboratory is fully operational.” %% GIA recommends that clients register online with its My GIA portal tool, which gives its clients an interactive means to view results and allows for the most prompt servicing.